6.8SPC best bullet for deer.

[brutus51]

Just placed an order for a 6.8SPC for my AR-5. 18" barrel 1:10 twist and I want to use it for deer in northern Michigan. Went with the 6.8 because terrain will limit shots to 200 yards.
So what's my best choice of bullets for this purpose?

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Hornady 100gr GMX.

 

[<*(((><]

What kind of hunter are you? Do you go for the shoulder? Neck? Vitals missing the shoulder?

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Deer, hog, coyote w/ 6.8.

I aim for the thorax.

 

[horsey300]

Just placed an order for a 6.8SPC for my AR-5. 18" barrel 1:10 twist and I want to use it for deer in northern Michigan. Went with the 6.8 because terrain will limit shots to 200 yards.
So what's my best choice of bullets for this purpose?

Without knowing whether you like to tickle the armpit or shatter shoulders, I'd start with gold dots and accubonds.

 

[joneb]

I would have had interest in that cartridge had the bullet diameter been 6.5 mm, for that I would use a 129gr Nosler ABLR.
Most .277 game bullets are designed for higher velocities.

 

[NR53]

Hornady 120 SST or Speer gold dot/fusion 115 gr.

 

[Lee Q. Loader]

Another good option would be Nosler. They make 100 and 110 grain accubonds for the 6.8.

 

[<*(((><]

90 gr Speer gold dots
95 gr Barnes TTSX
110 gr Accubonds
115 gr Fusion
120 gr SST

 

[<*(((><]

I would have had interest in that cartridge had the bullet diameter been 6.5 mm, for that I would use a 129gr Nosler ABLR.
Most .277 game bullets are designed for higher velocities.

This isn’t 2005, there are plenty of excellent hunting bullets of varying weights for 6.8 velocities now. The list I posted above is abbreviated, Sierra has some as well. And there are different weights of the above makers as well (ie. 85 gr Barnes TTSX, 100 gr Accubond, etc.)

 

[brutus51]

I will be hunting from a blind, always go for the heart/lung shot behind the front shoulder, if possible, not a trophy hunter more of a grocery shopper . Need to cut joneb some slack, until I bought this AR all my hunting has been done with a 30/06 or 30/30 or a 45/70 and my assault rifle is a .44 mag Marlin lever gun.
Big believer in bigger bullets are better so 6.5 or 6.8 seem a bit puny to me but I'm willing to learn onacconda in my old age they don't punch my shoulder so much.

 

[<*(((><]

I wasn’t being harsh, I was just pointing out that there are plenty of hunting bullets, meaning designed for penetration and expansion for the 6.8 velocities now. I’m speaking more to the fact that several major bullet manufactureres have designed bullets specifically for the 6.8 and it’s volocity (ie. Barnes, Nosler, federal)

 

[joneb]

This isn’t 2005, there are plenty of excellent hunting bullets of varying weights for 6.8 velocities now.

My initial research on this cartridge gave me the impression that it was designed to be a intermediate military cartridge that would out perform the 7.62x39. During it's development the 6.5mm bullet was tried while more accurate than the 6.8mm the 6.8mm was more effective with military FMJ projectiles. I have not kept up with advances in bullet tech for the 6.8 SPC but I would guess they are similar to improvements for 7.62x39 projectiles for hunting.
Regarding the Nosler Accubond, from Nosler "the optimum performance velocity: minimum: 1800fps"

 

[<*(((><]

The 1,800 FPS out of a rifle that pushes it at 2,700 FPS has more than adequate range for hunting scenarios. At that muzzle velocity it doesn’t drop below 1,800 FPS until 450 yards.

Again not trying to be argumentative, but there are very good bullet choices for hunting with the 6.8. Those 5 projectiles that I posted above have all been widely used in hunting with good success by many members of the 6.8 forum.

 

[horsey300]

I will be hunting from a blind, always go for the heart/lung shot behind the front shoulder, if possible, not a trophy hunter more of a grocery shopper . Need to cut joneb some slack, until I bought this AR all my hunting has been done with a 30/06 or 30/30 or a 45/70 and my assault rifle is a .44 mag Marlin lever gun.
Big believer in bigger bullets are better so 6.5 or 6.8 seem a bit puny to me but I'm willing to learn onacconda in my old age they don't punch my shoulder so much.

With this in mind, I'd recommend all of the above mentioned with the exception of the monolithic bullets, if you were wrecking bones they'd be more to the top of the list, but they're not needed, and they won't detonate the vitals as well as the others listed, at my .243 velocities, I find them acceptable but "hard" for deer, the 6.8 will do just fine with the others mentioned and I'd trust all but the sst to make 2 holes, the sst MIGHT but so far, at close range, mine just grenade a few inches after impact. I'd still put the gold dots first then accubonds, then sst, then Barnes (but push em fast!).

 

[Steve S.]

My wife and I have killed two large Missouri bucks (225# plus class) at a range of 80 yards and 205 yards, classic one shot to the chest drop right there stuff - the rifle and round continue to impress me. I use the Hornady 110 grain out if a WC Recon 6.8 - extremely accurate rifle.
I am aware that this round is in the “varmint” category but it kills large deer like a lightning strike - this round turns the chest cavity organs to mush.
Any of the 6’s are deer killers, the 6.8 is one of that category that has done a great job for us.